Braking device

ABSTRACT

A braking device by which a spinning spool dispensing wire is stopped upon release of tension applied to the device. The device comprises a rigid frame member on one end of which is mounted a hinged arm having a brake shoe adapted to frictionally engage one of a pair of freely rotating rollers supporting and spinning or revolving the spool in its dispensing stall of a wire library, the other end of the frame member being adapted to be pivotally attached onto the wire library or dolly assembly. Bearing means, such as a sheave, is mounted on the one end of the frame member for introducing the dispensed wire to a tension system. In operation, the wire unwinds off of the spinning spool, passing through the sheave to the tension system. The brake shoe is free of the roller as long as tension on the wire at the bearing means is applied. Upon release of such tension, the weight of the device causes it to drop about its pivot, and as it does so, the brake shoe frictionally engages the one freely rotating roller about which the spool is revolving. The roller stops immediately, and thus also, the spool. The wire does not continue to unwind.

United States Patent Priestly et al.

11] 3,819,127 [451 June 25, 1974 1 1 BRAKING DEVICE [73] Assignee: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation,

Burbank, Calif.

[22] Filed: Get. 2, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 294,433

Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath Attorney, Agent, or FirmBi1ly G. Corber; Frank L. Zugelter [57] ABSTRACT A braking device by which a spinning spool dispensing wire is stopped upon release of tension applied to the device. The device comprises a rigid frame member on one end of which is mounted a hinged arm having a brake shoe adapted to frictionally engage one of a pair of freely rotating rollers supporting and spinning or revolving the spool in its dispensing stall of a wire library, the other end of the frame member being adapted to be pivotally attached onto the wire library or dolly assembly. Bearing means, such as a sheave, is mounted on the one end of the frame member for introducing the dispensed wire to a tension system. In operation, the wire unwinds off of the spinning spool, passing through the sheave to the tension system. The brake shoe is free of the roller as long as tension on the wire at the bearing means is applied. Upon release of such tension, the weight of the device causes it to drop about its pivot, and as it does so, the brake shoe frictionally engages the one freely rotating roller about which the spool is revolving. The roller stops immediately, and thus also, the spool. The wire does not continue to unwind.

12 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUN25 I974 SHEET 1 0F 3 PATENTEWZSGM. 7 1819.121

SHEET 3 UF 3 OPERATOR'S STATION BRAKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of art to which the invention is most likely to pertain is located in a class of devices generally relating to braking devices.

2. The Prior Art Examples of prior art devices in the arts to which this invention most likely pertains are US. Letters Pat. Nos. 482,215; 624,695; 1,836,613; 2,504,046; 3,057,578; 3,069,107; 3,243,137; 3,350,031; 3,351,302; 3,602,452 and 3,618,870.

PROBLEMS IN THE PRIOR ART Although braking mechanisms for stopping spinning wire spools or reels have been utilized in the past, they have been primarily operable off of the axle for the spool. This has led to intricate and complicated unwinding systems. In addition, no device has been devised which has its utility applied to a multiple spool dispensing rack or dolly assembly. Units carrying a single spool dispensing wire require double handling of the spools. Furthermore, known systems are relatively expensive and difficult to install and operate.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide an automaticbrake for universal use on a dispensing rack or wire library carrying a plurality of wire spools, one which does not require continual adjustment, one which is constantly on except when the wire is being drawn from a spool, and one which requires only a minimum amount of tension to lift a brake shoe so that the spool may spin, rotate, or revolve. Its use, of course, is not limited to application merely to such a wire library.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device providing control of a spinning spool or reel, and is particularly directed to a device which brakes the spinning spool or reel upon release or easing of tension to the device itself.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel braking device, one which does not work off of the axle of a spool.

Another object of this invention is to immediately brake a spinning spool from which wire is being dispensed rapidly.

Another object of this invention is to provide universality of application of the device upon a wire library.

Further objects of this invention are to provide ease of installation and removal, quick set-up and down time, and convenient applicability of only one of such devices to any one of a plurality of wire spools in a plurality of wire libraries.

A further object of this invention is to provide inexpensive, economical, and facile fabrication for such a device.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate the need of an operator at an adjacent machine, such as a wire marking-and-cutting machine, to maintain a proper and orderly supply'of various sized wire on wire spools during the operation of such a machine, thus eliminating material handling time.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a portable, lightweight, inexpensive device having the ready facility for fabrication in different sizes.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, by a reading of the following description, the claims appended thereto, and the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the device as it is mounted upon structural elements of a rack or dolly assembly, with the brake free. 1

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device with the brake applied to a structural element of such assembly.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a particular utilization of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing in which reference characters correspond to like numerals hereinafter, reference character 10 denotes the preferred embodiment of the invention. The braking device 10 comprises a rigid frame member 11 on one end 12 (FIG. 3) of which a rigid arm 13 is mounted. The arm 13 is hingedly attached at its one end, as at 14, to the end 12 of the member 11. An acute angular relationship is established between themselves in the fabrication of the device 10. A brake band or shoe 15, formed of suitable abrasive material, is securely mounted to the underside of the free end of the arm 13. The end of the arm 13 and the shoe 15 are preferably arcuately formed to correspond with the cylindrical nature of a rotatable metal roller 17 included in a dolly assembly, modular rack, or wire library 18 (FIG. 4) and with which roller 17 it is adapted to be frictionally related.

Means 19, such as hooking members (FIGS. 1, 3), are provided on the other end of the frame member 11 for pivotal mounting of the device 10 to the wire library 18. Holes 20 are provided along one portion of a channel member 21 forming an element of the fabricated rack or wire library 18.

We briefly digress here from further describing the invention, to describe a wire library and its purposes, in order to more fully appreciate the utilization of the invention as applied to wire libraries, and thus to more fully understand the invention itself.

It is on such structures that large numbers of wire spools are stored and maintained. As an example of ul timate application of the wires dispensed from these spools stored on a wire library, the aerospace industry requires many thousands of feet of wire which must be measured, bundled, harnessed, etc., for installation in airframes, space capsules, missiles, etc. Thus, time and work is expended to prepare wire for such installation, and efficiency in time, work and costs depends upon how quickly, safely, and effectively wire is made available to an operator so preparing same. It is the purpose of a wire library, therefore, to expeditiously present the wire to the operators machine which marks the length of and cuts the wire according to airframe or other specifications. By providing a wire library stored with wire spools ready for dispensing, such efficiency is accomplished, so long as the unwinding of the wire from a spool itself doesnt work to reduce such efficiency. It is one purpose of the device to maintain such efficiency.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically a dolly assembly or wire library 18, the view being taken from one of its ends. A wire library 18 takes the form of a fabricated dolly assembly or modular rack assembly, and generally comprises several levels of structural stalls in each level on which wire spools are arranged, in their respective dispensing stalls, to front or opposing sides of such library in order to make anyone of themselves readily available for dispensing wire. The length of the library, from its one end (FIG. 4) to its other, may be as long as desired, to support as many columns and levels of stalls in each of which a wire-dispensing spool 22 may be supported on a pair of rollers 17. Thus, it should now be evident that a single device 10 may be utilized for one wire library or many libraries, and a single device is also applicable to as many libraries as required to deliver (not at the same time) the necessary lengths of wires to an operators station. Conversely, more than one device 10 may cooperate with a single or a plurality of libraries should a demand and method for marking and cutting more than a length of one wire at the same time be required and met.

In the instant disclosure, FIGS. 1 and 2, a device 10 is shown to be connected or mounted to a wire library on a level thereof having a channel member 21 extending between its ends, and rib bars 23 disposed transversely to the channel member 21. Only one of the rib bars 23 is shown, horizontally extending between the fronts or sides of the library at each of its levels. The spacing between two adjacent rib bars 23 provides the dispensing stall for each wire spool, and it is in this stall that the roller 17 is disposed. The roller 17 is one of a pair of spaced rollers each of which is mounted on its own axle 24. The axle 24 is a rod or shaft forming a fixed structural element of the fabricated wire library 18. Such rollers 17 are mounted to their respective axles 24 by means of suitable radial ball bearings (not shown) at their respective ends. Preferably, the length of the rollers 17 are co-extensive with the spacing between adjacent rib bars 23, in order to accommodate a spool 22 having any length less than the width of the dispensing stall. Both rollers 17 support the rims 25 of the wire spool 22 and each pair of cooperating rollers 17 is caused to rotate by the spinning of its associated wire spool.

Returning now to a description of the subject matter of the invention, at the same end at which the arm 13 is mounted to the frame member 11', a bearing means 26 is provided for introducing a length of a dispensed 1 wire 27 to a tension system to be found at an operators 10 to obtain a maximum braking friction in operation thereof and as will become apparent in the description hereinafter.

A suitable swivel mechanism 30 is mounted atop the standard 29 and to which the sheave 28 on the other hand is operatively coupled. The swivel mechanism 30 may be conventionally designed for the sheave 28 and its standard 29. Its purpose is to provide continuous control by the sheave 28 of the unwinding wire 27, irrespective of the location of the point of draw of such wire from along the length of the spool 22.

A retaining spring 32 is suitably connected between the brake arm 13 and the frame member 11 to maintain the acute angular assembly thereof. However, in this manner, the shoe 15 would be applied continuously to a roller 17 upon mounting the device 10 to the library 18. A means 34 is provided to prevent the brake shoe 15 from riding on the roller 17 upon application of tension to the device 10. The means 34 takes the form of a block or nut 35, a screw member 36, and a locking nut 37. The block 35 is threaded and welded to the member 11', with the screw member 36 being threaded thereto and the lock nut 37 threaded to member 36. Adjustment of the height of the screw member 36 before tightening the nut 37 to the block 35 provides or assures a clearance between the brake shoe 15 and its associated roller 17 when tension is applied to the device 10, as will become evident in the description of the operation of device 10 hereinafter.

The assembly of device 10 should be evident from the drawing and the above description; however, briefly, the hooks l9 and the elements 35, 36 and 37 may first be suitably attached and mounted to a metal plate constituting the frame member 11. Thereafter, a hinge bracket 14 is welded thereto and to the arm 13 so as to form the acute angular relationship between such elements and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The standard 29 may be welded to the frame member 11 before or after attachment of the arm 13 thereto. The sheave 28 and its swiveling means 30 may then be suitably secured atop the standard 29. The retaining spring 32 may then be suitably connected to the elements 11 and 13. Adjustment of the means 34 may be performed by mounting the device 10 to a library 18, applying wire tension therethrough, and setting the desired clearance between the brake shoe 15 and the roller 17 as the screw 36 is adjusted in nut 35.

In operation, the means or hooks 19 are attached to a channel member 21 extending across a dispensing stall, after the brake shoe 15 has been oriented in its relationship to the front roller 17 for that stall. Thus, the

device 10 now hangs upon the wire library 18. A wire 27 from a spool 22 is unwound therefrom and threaded through the sheave 28 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In a particular application, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the wire 27 is preferably continued to be threaded to and through another bearing means 40 suitably secured at a higher level to the wire library 18 before being accepted by the tension system at the operators station. The wire then continues to be extended into the tension system, which may be'a wire marking-and-cutting machine which pulls the wire 27 from its spool 22. As the wire 27 is pulled through the bearing means 26, 40 by means of the wire marking-and-cutting machine, the

applied tension on the wire 27 lifts the sheave 28, and

pivots the device 10 about the holes 20 to free the brake shoe 15 from frictional engagement with its front roller 17 (FIG. 1 Thus, the spool 22 is free to spin on or revolve about both rollers 17 as the wire 27 is dispensed therefrom under tension. When the tension on the wire being dispensed is eased or released (FIG. 2), say, by a cutting of the wire at the marking-and-cutting machine, the weight of the device 10 pivots downwardly about its hooks 19 held in holes 20, thereby causing the brake shoe to drop upon the front roller 17. The rotation of the rims 25 of the spool 22 on the front roller 17 is immediately stopped and thereby prevents excessive dereeling of the wire whichcould cause tangling about the spool 22 and the device 10.

It may be noted that the lift amplitude for the device 10 about its pivot at holes 20 is limited by the striking of a point or portion 11a the frame member 11 itself against a forward portion 21f of the channel member 21 (FIG. I).

Thus, it should now be evident that the inertia of a spinning wire spool in a stall on a wire library of this type would continue to spin were the wire-drawing tension stopped and no braking device utilized to stop such spinning. This would make for an awkward and unorganized situation for an operator workingat his adjacent station. The utility of this device 10 provides an immediate braking for the spinning wire spool, thus, assuring the operator that long lengths of wire are not indiscriminately strewn about his station and which would erode his time at his station in order to reorganize such wire, as well as affecting the safety or welfare of himself, all of whichwould reduce efficiency at the operators station. i

It should also be clear that no further adjustment of the device is required, after adjusting the retaining spring 32 and the means 34, in order to provide a constant friction to the front roller 17, other than to adjust infrequently for brake shoe lining wear. In prior art devices, a constant friction feature was usually undesirable, but necessary, because of the design of the braking device itself and various magnitudes of tension that would be required to remove the wire from its spool,

depending upon the weight of wound wire remaining on the spool at a given point in drawing off such wire. The device 10 utilizes only a small degree of tension for its operation, not dependent upon the changing weight of a spool carrying wire, and which for all practical purposes is constant.

The advantage becomes evident, then, that the device 10 is fully compensating for the changing (decreasing) weight and the increasing rim speed of the spool 22 as the wire 27 is dispensed at a constant rate therefrom. With the spool decreasing in weight as the wire is dispensed at a constant rate therefrom, and with the speed of the spool rims increasing because of the increasing lesser time for each revolution or coil of wire to unwrap from the spool, the speed of the rollers 17 increases. Nevertheless, the brake shoe 15 of the device 10 functions efficiently to immediately stop one of the rollers 17, regardless of such changing conditions. Tangling and excessive dereeling of such dispensed wire is thereby eliminated.

It should be understood that bearing means other than a sheave 28 may be utilized. For example, an eye formed by a rigid looped element secured to the standard 29, and through which the dispensed wire 27 would be threaded, is also contemplated. The eye would be preferably formed of polished material. In this instance, a swivel means 30 would not be required. Furthermore, to prevent damage to a dispensed wire 27, the length of such wire at any time during operation of the device 10 and disposed between the bearing means 26 and any point of draw from the spinning spool 22 should not interfere or strike either the front roller 17 or the free end of the arm 13 oriented over such front roller 17. An adequate height for the standard 29 assures that no such interference will occur.

The bending at 11b (FIG. 1) of the frame member 11 provides for further compactness of the device 10, however, such bending is not a critical limitation to the construction of the device 10.

Pursuant to the requirements of the patent statutes, the principle of this invention has been explained and exemplified in a manner so that it can be readily practiced by those skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, such exemplification including what is presently considered to represent the best embodiment of the invention. However, it should be clearly understood that the above description and illustrations are not intended to unduly limit the scope of the appended claims, but that therefrom the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and exemplified herein, by those skilled in the art, and having the benefit of this disclosure.

Therefore, what we claim as patentably novel is:

1. In combination,

a braking device having a brake shoe for controlling the rotation of a cylinder or the like,

a frame member in said device and having opposing ends,

an arm disposed in an acute angular relationship to said frame member and being operatively connected at one of said frame members ends, said arm having a free end, said brake shoe being mounted on said free end for frictional engagement to such a cylinder or the like,

means for retaining said arm in acute angular relationship to said frame member,

means at the other of said frame members ends for pivotal mounting of said frame member, said brake shoe upon such pivotal mounting being oriented in cooperative relationship to such a cylinder or the like,

means for limiting the lift amplitude of said device about said pivotal mounting means,

bearing means mounted at and extending from said .one of said frame members ends for introducing a wire or the like to a tension system, and

means operable upon said am for preventing said brake shoe thereon from riding on such a cylinder or the like upon application of tension to said device by drawing of the wire or the like through said bearing means,

the weight of said bearing means displacing said device downwardly upon release of tension thereto to cause said brake shoe to engage such a cylinder or the like.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said limiting means comprises a portion of said frame member, said portion being adapted for striking a fixed position upon application of tension to said device.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said operable means is mounted between said arm and frame member.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said bearing means comprises a sheave mounted on said frame members one of said ends.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein a standard is secured to said one of said ends of said frame member, said sheave being mounted atop said standard.

6. The device of claim 5 including swivelling means for said sheave.

7. A braking device comprising in combination,

a frame member having opposing ends,

an arm hingedly connected at one of said frame members ends to form an acute angular relationship with said frame member, said arm having a free end,

means formed at the other of said frame members ends for pivotal mounting of said frame member to another structure,

means for retaining said arm in acute angular relationship to said frame member,

a braking shoe mounted on said free end for frictional engagement with a moving element on such structure to which said device is mounted,

a standard having a top and being secured adjacent such hinged connection to said one of said frame members ends,

bearing means mounted to the top of said standard,

means on said frame member adapted for limiting the lift amplitude of said device about said pivotal mounting means, and

means mounted on said frame member operable on said arm for preventing said braking shoe from riding on such a moving element upon application of tension to said device through said bearing means.

means for said device. 

1. In combination, a braking device having a brake shoe for controlling the rotation of a cylinder or the like, a frame member in said device and having opposing ends, an arm disposed in an acute angular relationship to said frame member and being operatively connected at one of said frame member''s ends, said arm having a free end, said brake shoe being mounted on said free end for frictional engagement to such a cylInder or the like, means for retaining said arm in acute angular relationship to said frame member, means at the other of said frame member''s ends for pivotal mounting of said frame member, said brake shoe upon such pivotal mounting being oriented in cooperative relationship to such a cylinder or the like, means for limiting the lift amplitude of said device about said pivotal mounting means, bearing means mounted at and extending from said one of said frame member''s ends for introducing a wire or the like to a tension system, and means operable upon said arm for preventing said brake shoe thereon from riding on such a cylinder or the like upon application of tension to said device by drawing of the wire or the like through said bearing means, the weight of said bearing means displacing said device downwardly upon release of tension thereto to cause said brake shoe to engage such a cylinder or the like.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said limiting means comprises a portion of said frame member, said portion being adapted for striking a fixed position upon application of tension to said device.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said operable means is mounted between said arm and frame member.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said bearing means comprises a sheave mounted on said frame member''s one of said ends.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein a standard is secured to said one of said ends of said frame member, said sheave being mounted atop said standard.
 6. The device of claim 5 including swivelling means for said sheave.
 7. A braking device comprising in combination, a frame member having opposing ends, an arm hingedly connected at one of said frame member''s ends to form an acute angular relationship with said frame member, said arm having a free end, means formed at the other of said frame member''s ends for pivotal mounting of said frame member to another structure, means for retaining said arm in acute angular relationship to said frame member, a braking shoe mounted on said free end for frictional engagement with a moving element on such structure to which said device is mounted, a standard having a top and being secured adjacent such hinged connection to said one of said frame member''s ends, bearing means mounted to the top of said standard, means on said frame member adapted for limiting the lift amplitude of said device about said pivotal mounting means, and means mounted on said frame member operable on said arm for preventing said braking shoe from riding on such a moving element upon application of tension to said device through said bearing means.
 8. The braking device of claim 7 wherein said bearing means is a sheave.
 9. The braking device of claim 8 including swivel means for said sheave.
 10. The braking device of claim 7 wherein said retaining means comprises a spring mounted between said arm and frame member.
 11. The braking device of claim 10 wherein said bearing means is a sheave.
 12. The braking device of claim 11 including swivel means for said device. 